Cyclone Remal forces train cancellations in Northeast as water levels rise

Several train are being cancelled in the northeast regions due to Cyclone Remal which triggered heavy rains and landslides in the region. A special train will run on May 30 for affected passengers

Train services were disrupted in the Northeast regions as cyclone Remal rampaged through the states. Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) officially stated that the waterlogging problem and damage on railway tracks in the Haflong-Bandarkhal section and Dima Hasao district of Assam has forced train cancellations. 

Several reports claim that the NFR has cancelled a number of express, passenger and goods trains heading to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram since Tuesday.

NFR officials told IANS, "Our engineers and workers are working round-the-clock to restore rail services but heavy rain and adverse weather conditions badly affected the restoration work.”

However, passenger and goods train services have been disrupted since April 25 in the region due to landslides that damaged railway tracks in the Jatinga Lumpur-New Harangajao section of the Lumding division as heavy rains were observed in the mountainous Dima Hasao district.

The one-way special train will run from Guwahati to Sealdah on May 30 for affected passengers, NFR said.

Many other trains are partially cancelled which include Coimbatore-Silchar Express, Kanchanjunga Express connecting Sealdah in West Bengal and Agartala, Tripura Sundari Express that connects Agartala with Firozpur Cantonment station in Punjab, Silchar-Guwahati Express, Agartala-Kolkata special express.

The official stated that the overflow in the nearby regions is causing disruption. However, the NFR has deployed workers to restore railway services and the full-fledged work is yet to begin.

The disruption caused a shortage of fuel and other basic supplies across southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. These states largely depend on the outside for fuel, food grains, viral supplies and other commodities. 

Two people lost their lives in Manipur's Senapati district after the Cyclone Remal triggered heavy rainfall and landslides. A 34-year-old man lost his life in a landslide on the Senapati-Thonglang Road, while an 83-year-old woman drowned in the Senapati River on Tuesday. The European Union (EU) has provided 22.6 million as aid to Manipur.